Springtails are tiny, wingless, hopping pests that love to make a home in damp, moldy areas or among decaying organic matter. They have a distinctive hump-back appearance and are often found in large groups outdoors.
Use this guide to identify springtails you may have around your home or business. If you discover springtails and need help removing them, continue through our guide for tips on how to find springtails around your home and how to kill springtails.
Springtails measure between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch long. They are similar in size to the flea.
Springtails are wingless and hump-backed, with short legs and a long, fork-like appendage extending under the rear of the abdomen. They do not fly, but are able to perform a hopping move with these long appendages to move over greater distances.
Springtails are most often black, dark gray or dark brown in color, though some white or other colored varieties have been seen.
The springtail is one of the most widely found insect-like species in the world. They are specifically arthropods, not insects, although they resemble other small, hopping insect pests. Springtails can be found throughout the United States, and even in both polar regions of the globe.